


Say my Name

by rosebud1000



Series: The Love Square [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Evil Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, Ladrien | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Redemption, Post-Episode: s03 Chasseuse de Kwamis | Kwamibuster, but hopeful, well maybe not a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:06:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 4,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24499147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosebud1000/pseuds/rosebud1000
Summary: Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Everyone knew this, yet they never expected it to happen to Ladybug. Every time she held her and Chat’s miraculous, every time his ring touched her hand, she felt the power of the wish. After she steals his miraculous, unbeknownst to the citizens of Paris, they are living in the shadow of an unused wish.It’s a good thing Adrien Agreste is there to save them.(Originally titled The Power of Two).
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: The Love Square [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764616
Comments: 40
Kudos: 74





	1. On the Roof

**Author's Note:**

> You better be ready for a wild ride, because not only do I not have a thought-out plan, I also have an awful lot of free time. Enjoy!

* * *

_I_ _'m gonna have a new best... friend!_

* * *

Adrien didn’t know what brought him up to the roof in the first place. It wasn’t decorated, only utility workers were supposed to have access. Being an Agreste did have its advantages, after all.

He wasn’t sure why he went up. Maybe to see the city from this angle again. He hadn’t been up this high since he’d been Chat Noir. Seeing Paris like this… it brought a flood of memories he’d been avoiding. Fighting akumas, patrolling with his lady.

He’d already spent too much time crying over this. He didn’t need to start now.

A flash of red in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned in time to see a spotted hand disappearing around a chimney stack. He needed to get down from the roof without her seeing him. How?

He didn’t hear the footsteps behind him as he contemplated his escape route.

“Adrien?”

He froze. Adrien’s heart beat fast, the last time she was this close to him...

“What are you doing here?” Ladybug stepped in front of him, blinking. She didn’t look any different at all.

Adrien took one shaky breath, then another. Didn’t she know?

“You’re close to the edge.”

He looked down at his feet. Yes, he was. All that time as Chat Noir, he’d gotten used to not being afraid of heights. He backed away, and while it lessened the danger of falling it brought him closer to Ladybug. Nothing about her gave anything away. He’d always assumed she’d do something the next time they met, shout or cry or maybe even attack him.

_She didn’t know._ She didn’t know his identity. Even when she took his miraculous, she had protected his identity. And now she was haunting the city, acting as little more than a ghost.

“Why?” he said out loud, the word not much more than a breath.

“Oh.” Ladybug met his eyes, her lips curving into a smile. “You wouldn’t know.”


	2. Helpless

* * *

_I look into your eyes and the sky's the limit._

* * *

After the strange day on the roof, Adrien was expecting to never talk with Ladybug again. He saw her, flying across the city, her costume unbearably bright in the rainy autumn weather. It was hard to say if she was a hero. She defeated Hawkmoth. That made her a hero. Before that, she fought dozens of akumas. That was heroic. Stealing his ring wasn’t.

She was waiting for him, it seemed. Leaning against the corner of a building outside Francois-Dupont. He passed the waiting car, stopping when he stood in front of her.

She hadn’t been looking at him; she’d been looking across the street, and now she turned. Her eyes met his, the brightest blue he’s ever seen staring at him. Adrien couldn’t help his gasp, couldn’t help the way his heart skipped a beat. He’s still in love with her. Despite the betrayal, he still loved her. And it was a terrible, terrible thing.

“What do you want?” It was an odd thing for her to ask since she had been the one waiting.

“What happened to you?” he asked before he could stop himself.

“I got a taste of power. My miraculous and the cat’s grant the power of a wish. Every time I touched Chat’s ring, I felt it. It’s hard not to want more.” Ladybug held up a gloved hand, stretching her fingers. “Stupid cat.”

Stupid cat indeed. If it was the power of the wish that caused this, it was Adrien’s fault. Every time his ring touched her? That meant every hug, every fist bump, every hand kiss.

“What’s your name?” he blurted.

“I answer one question, and you think I’ll tell you all my secrets?”

“No.”

Ladybug pursed her lips. She picked Adrien’s book bag off the ground, from where he couldn’t even remember dropping it. She threw it onto him; he caught it with a huff.

“Bug out.”

And like that, she was gone again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the background for this still somewhat unclear, but I'm trying not to info-dump, and leaving it purposefully a little vague. Anyway, more exposition-y stuff to come soon, as well as an actual plot. Which I have... mostly figured out. Thanks for reading!


	3. True Love

* * *

_ But I had faith in what the stories told of true love, how I’d find true love. _

* * *

Adrien looked for Ladybug. She stopped for no one, but still he looked. If she was waiting for him again, he wanted to find her. If he could somehow save her, it would all be okay. He could make everything okay again.

He was escaping yet another of his father’s parties. The venue was near the Seine; he found himself walking down to the bank.

Ladybug was there, sitting on the ground with her legs crossed. Her hair glowed pale in the moonlight, her back to him. He sat down next to her, his eyes widening as he caught sight of her hands.

Resting in her palm was a black ring. He didn’t bother trying to take it, she’d surely get it back. She flattened the cup of her hands, as if to show him the miraculous.

“I haven’t used the wish. I don’t know if I ever will.” She studied his face, looking for a reaction. He gave none. She clasped her hands around the ring. “It’s just having it. I’m invincible.”

Adrien looked down to where his ring was and back up to Ladybug’s face. She was smiling. She had what she wanted, the wish was never really part of it. The moon lit her from one side, the Eiffel and the city from the other. It was a play of warm and cool lights across, mingling with the shadows.

He kissed her. He leaned forward, put a careful hand to her cheek, and kissed her. It was short, nothing but his lips pressed to hers. It was exactly as he remembered.

“What do you think this is, a fairytale?” she asked when he pulled away. “I’m not cursed.”

“I know,” Adrien said softly. But love should still save her. If she fell for him, that would be enough to pull her away from this corruption.

Ladybug had turned away from him, resolutely facing the river. As if admitting defeat, he stood.

As he walked away, he could hear her beginning to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A title change, a chapter count, and an actual outline in my doc. It doesn't get any better than this.


	4. Waving Through a Window

* * *

_ Can anybody see? Is anybody waving back at me? _

* * *

Adrien stayed up late that night. He’d gotten back from the party--past midnight, going to these events on school nights was a terrible idea--and then hadn’t been able to fall asleep for hours.

Maybe because of his lack of sleep, maybe because his mind was still reeling from Ladybug last night, he wasn’t watching where he was going. And thus, he ran directly in Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Surprisingly, she didn’t drop anything, or even fall. She just stumbled a bit, ignored Adrien’s offered hand, and acted like her face hadn’t just turned bright red. She’d always been awkward around Adrien. But today, she didn’t stutter out an apology.

As Adrien watched her open the school doors and step inside, he realized that that didn’t seem as out of place as it should. Come to think of it, she hadn’t been very talkative these past few weeks. The situation with Ladybug had put everyone off, Marinette more so than others, it seemed.

He made a mental note to check in with her when he got the chance and followed her into the building. He didn’t want to be late, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, yes, a new chapter count. While 14 was all fine and good, I somehow left out some major exposition (this) and a plot point in my planning. Also, I have quite a bit more written ahead than before, so updates *might* get more regular.


	5. Beautiful

* * *

_ We could be beautiful… just not today. _

* * *

The next time he saw Ladybug, she sought him out. She found him in the gap between school and fencing, the ten minutes he spent outside the gym.

She pulled him into an alley, her hands on his shoulders, and she kissed him. It was all his dreams and all his nightmares combined, beautiful and perfect and terrifying. Part of him wanted to fight, to rip himself from her grasp. But this wasn’t the last time she’d kissed him. Her hands stayed firmly on his shoulders, they didn’t run down his arms, she couldn’t take the jewelry she already had.

So he let himself kiss her back, memorizing everything about this moment. It held everything they’d ever done, whether Ladybug knew it or not. Every akuma they defeated, every promise they made, every little thing that brought them here. It was their past and their future, every tangled thread weaving their story. 

It was Ladybug and Chat Noir, it always had been, always would be. Even when Ladybug was lost, even when Chat was powerless.

Her fingers grazed the edge of his neck, Adrien lowering his head to give her a better angle. She pulled away abruptly, her face flushed.

“You’ve got two minutes.”

Adrien barely had time to process her words before she left. He stepped out of the alley, pulling out his phone to check the time. He had two minutes to get to his fencing class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished prewriting! Daily updates, if I remember.
> 
> *idk if anyone will see it, but I accidentally posted ch. 10 for .2 seconds while drafting*


	6. Dead Mom

* * *

_ You won’t believe the mess that we’ve become. _

* * *

“I was in love with you.”

Those were the first words Ladybug said to Adrien when he saw her next. She was in love with him.

“Was?” he asked. “Are you still?”

“As much as I can be.” Ladybug smiled, taking Adrien’s hands in hers. “I can use the wish for you, Adrien. You want your mom back, right?”

He loved her. He loved Ladybug, but this wasn’t really Ladybug. This was Ladybug hungry for power, this was Ladybug losing who she was. This was Ladybug needing to be saved.

“Don’t use it yet,” he said.

“Why not?"

Adrien shrugged. "Because you love me."

Ladybug paused, the familiar look of a forming plan in her eyes. Her spotted hand reached up to his cheek, bringing their lips together.

Adrien put a hand on her shoulder, responding to the kiss. He could keep her from using the wish until he had a plan. He would find a way to save her. And in the meantime--he was  _ so _ in love with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> paris is safe... for now


	7. Only Us

* * *

_ And what if that’s all we need it to be and the rest of the world falls away? _

* * *

“What about Chat Noir?” Adrien asked, sitting atop a roof with Ladybug.

“What about him?”

Adrien shrugged. “Do you miss him?”

Ladybug stiffened. “I don’t need him.”

“What about before?”

“Before?” Ladybug kept her gaze firmly away from him.

“You used to-- you used to say you needed his help. That without him you’d be defeated. You would get mad, whenever anyone insulted him.”

Ladybug crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t need him,” she repeated.

“Okay, okay.” Adrien backed down, resting his hands on his knees.

She frowned, moving closer to Adrien and putting an arm on his shoulder. He didn’t flinch at her touch, something that he was proud of, considering what she’d done to him.

“Please, don’t talk about him,” she said, her voice soft. “He’s not even a part of this. No need to bring it up.”

Adrien wanted to argue. To find out what really happened, how she could just betray him like that. But he also knew not to give away his identity--at least, not yet.

“Yeah. Okay.”

Ladybug smiled, a spotted hand lifting to his cheek. Adrien turned his head into the kiss. The first memory of them kissing was only present in the back of his mind, slowly being replaced by all these newer, better kisses. Maybe she was right. Maybe Chat Noir wasn’t ever a part of this.


	8. Heart of Stone

* * *

_ When the fire’s burnt, when the wind has blown, when the water’s dried you’ll still find stone. _

* * *

“Spots on.”

Adrien stopped walking. He knew that phrase. He couldn’t tell exactly where the voice had come from, so he spun around, looking for the telltale red flash.

“Ladybug?” he asked, hesitant to speak loudly.

She didn’t answer; she must not have heard him.

“Ladybug?” He turned around again and there!-- a black-spotted figure slipped into an alley. Adrien ran to follow her, biting his tongue to prevent himself from calling for his lady.

“Go away, Adrien.”

He couldn’t help his gasp, shocked by this sudden change. Last week she’d offered to use the wish for him. What was going on?

“I can’t right now, Adrien, okay?” she hissed, glaring at him.

“But--”

“Leave me alone.”

She was unstable, that must be it. She was affected by the miraculous. Adrien would have to be okay with that, if he wanted this to work. As much as he loved her, he couldn’t let her get to him.

“I’ll see you later,” he said, taking his leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I just *had* to fit a song from Six in here somehow


	9. Someone Gets Hurt

* * *

_ It’s fine… until someone gets hurt. _

* * *

Adrien leaned into her kisses, Ladybug’s hands pulling gently at his hair. He let his fingers find her shoulder blades, pressing where he knew her there were black spots. She let out something more than a breath, halfway between a sigh and his name, his lips muffling the sound.

Her breath was short as she moved her kisses from his mouth to his neck. Adrien hugged her closer to him, taking his hands from her upper back to her shoulders, his thumb grazing her collar bone.

“Oh my god, it’s Ladybug!”

She broke away, fear written all over her face. Whoever shouted was drawing a crowd.

“Who is that?”

“Is that Chat Noir?”

“No-- It’s Adrien Agreste!”

Ladybug wrapped an arm around his waist, using the other to fling her yoyo. Seconds later, they were off, flying across the city and getting the hell out of there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, be prepared.


	10. Wait for It

* * *

_ And if there’s a reason I’m by her side when so many have tried… then I’m willing to wait for it. _

* * *

Adrien was hyper-aware of the stares on his back when he entered the classroom. It was quiet enough to hear a pin drop, the other students in a silent competition to talk to him.

It was Alya who spoke first. “I cannot believe you.”

He expected this to rouse a flurry of questions and admonishments, but instead find himself center to more silence. He can’t take it anymore. He told himself to say nothing, but he can’t. He has to defend himself; he has to defend Ladybug.

“I was-- _ am _ \-- trying to save her. I know I can, just… give it time.”

With that said, Adrien took his seat. He kept his eyes forward through the rest of the day, not even speaking to Nino. It was a shame he didn’t notice the blue eyes glaring at the back of his head for just as long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, things are getting pretty intense starting here. We're in for a wild act 2.


	11. You'll Be Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update today because I'm actually leaving my house for the full day!

* * *

_ We have seen each other through it all… _

* * *

As common an occurrence as it was for Adrien, being yanked into the sky by a yoyo was still a startling experience. If he’d had warning, he might have been able to land on his feet, but as it was, he found himself with folded legs on the roof next to Ladybug.

He scrambled upright, surprised to find that she hadn’t offered him a hand like she normally did. Her eyes were ice-cold through her mask, her posture stiff.

“How dare you.”

Adrien flinched at her harsh tone. What was she talking about? He hadn’t told anyone about them; they’d been caught. Just yesterday, she said she loved him. What changed?

“I don’t need fixing.” She hadn’t put her yoyo back around her waist. She held it the same she had during akuma attacks. Adrien never thought it’d be used as a weapon against him.

“Fixing? Ladybug, what’s going on?”

“You said you were going to  _ fix _ me!” she shouted.

He had said that. He’d said it, and thought it, and it’d been his goal this whole time. But he’d been so careful not to let her find out. How had she now?

“‘Give it time’!? I’m done giving it time.” She snapped her yoyo, letting it fly closer to Adrien’s face than he would like.

“Ladybug!” The fear in his voice was enough for her to return the yoyo to her waist.

They stared at each other for a long moment, neither of them sure of what was supposed to happen next.

“What happened to you?” Adrien wasn’t expecting a response, she’d never truly answered this question, so why would she now? But she did.

She held his gaze, the ice in eyes melting. “Multimouse.”

Ladybug’s yoyo whipped away from her, catching on the Parisian skyline.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting here, the rest of the chapters happen in succession. Slight warning for the next chapter containing a panic attack.


	12. Words Fail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, this chapter contains a panic attack. I'll leave a 'what happened' in the beginning notes of the next chapter if anyone wants to skip.

* * *

_ Words fail, words fail, there’s nothing I can say. _

* * *

Adrien watched Ladybug leave. He didn’t do anything to stop, because really, what could he do? He was frozen in his spot, his brain working through all the possible meanings of what she’d said. Multimouse. What about her?

Multimouse had been Marinette. He at least had that to go off of. But how had Multimouse ‘happened’ to Ladybug?

He’d given her his miraculous. That seemed important. Multimouse had had his ring. She’d more than held it, she’d worn it. She’d transformed with it. That on its own wasn’t concerning. But if she’d also had Ladybug’s earrings…

Something clicked. Marinette was acting weird. She’d heard him talking this morning. She’d been Multimouse. And she was Ladybug.

Adrien couldn’t stop his tears. Marinette was Ladybug. It made sense-- an awful sort of sense that he didn’t want to believe. She’d hurt him terribly. Everything was rushing back to him, all the memories he’d been ignoring in order to be with Ladybug.

_ He knew something was off. He thought she was still shaken up by how close her identity had come to being revealed during the last fight. Kwamibuster had been one of the toughest fights yet. She was looking at him more than the akuma. He grabbed her hand to pull her out the path of a blast; she held on a moment longer than normal. _

_ Even with superpowers, a fight this long was draining. He hoped she’d call her Lucky Charm soon. Instead, she picked him up and dropped them on a roof across from the akuma. _

_ “I have a plan,” she whispered. She set her gaze on the akuma. “Hawkmoth. Meet us here.” _

_ Adrien didn’t have time to ask what was going on, didn’t have time to process what she’d said, before she was kissing him. She was kissing him, a hand in his hair and the other on his shoulder. She pulled him closer; he kept his hands at his sides, too shocked to move anything other than his lips with hers. _

_ He didn’t notice her hand moving down his arm. He didn’t notice her pushing him towards the roof access, a door open to a stairwell. Her fingers found his ring. In one motion, she ended the kiss, took his miraculous, shoved him into the stairwell, and turned to face Hawkmoth. _

_ “Would you care to fight?” she asked, as Adrien scrambled down the stairs, not entirely sure what had just happened. _

The tears had to end eventually, and they did. Even his mouth tasted salty as Adrien looked around the city. Something was happening. He could feel it, Chat Noir instincts not yet faded. Ladybug--Marinette--was up to something. And whatever it was, Adrien Agreste was not going to let it happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *puts exposition in the twelfth chapter*


	13. World Burn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From the last chapter:
> 
> Multimouse had had his ring. She’d more than held it, she’d worn it. She’d transformed with it. That on its own wasn’t concerning. But if she’d also had Ladybug’s earrings…
> 
> Something clicked. Marinette was acting weird. She’d heard him talking this morning. She’d been Multimouse. And she was Ladybug.
> 
> Something was happening. He could feel it, Chat Noir instincts not yet faded. Ladybug--Marinette--was up to something. And whatever it was, Adrien Agreste was not going to let it happen.

* * *

_ I wanna watch the world burn. I got the gasoline. _

* * *

Adrien ran-- he ran through the city, not nearly as quickly as Chat Noir had. He turned the corners he knew so well, rushing to the Eiffel.

He broke through the gathered crowd, not bothering to apologize for bumping into people. He needed to see what was going on, dread muddling his thoughts. He’d know if she’d used the wish, would he?

At long last, he found himself at the front, staring up at the Eiffel Tower. An awful sense of deja vu fills him. This is so like that day that feels like forever ago, when Ladybug stood here and proclaimed she would take Hawkmoth’s miraculous. Now, in an irony to end the world, she stood there having accomplished not only that, but the villain’s goal as well.

And when he finally looked up to see what was happening, his blood ran cold.

Ladybug stood on a beam halfway up the tower, looking down at the world. Unmistakable to Adrien, a small black figure hovered next to her, a ring glinting bright on her finger. Plagg saw him, diving down to his chosen, but Ladybug stopped the kwami. With a simple word, he was frozen by her side, unable to move.

Adrien swallowed hard, not letting himself cry. What the hell was he going to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> over-editing the last three chapters? who, me? never.


	14. Say my Name

* * *

_All you gotta do is say my name._

* * *

Marinette. Ladybug. Adrien had to get to her. She was high up the Eiffel; how could he get there without superpowers of his own?

Staring up at her, her hands held out ready for a Unify, he realized it couldn’t get worse than this. If she really was going to use the wish, he had nothing left to lose.

“Ladybug!”

Her gaze snapped to him, blue eyes burning hot. He saw the yoyo coming, relief and terror mingling in his chest as he flew up through the air towards her.

“Adrien,” she said. “I was expecting you’d come back.”

“Please don’t,” he whispered. His voice cracked, his eyes wet with tears.

“What, the wish?” Her yoyo returned to her waist, nothing but Adrien’s feet left to support his precarious position so high up.

“It could be bad. You know that, right?”

“I still don’t need to be fixed.”

“I-- I know who you are.” He took a step towards her; she didn’t back away. “You’re Ladybug. You care about people. You defeated thousands of akuma. You protected this city. You defeated Hawkmoth. You were-- _are_ \--Chat Noir’s partner.”

She didn’t say anything, frozen with her hands at her side, Plagg still stuck by her shoulder.

Adrien reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You’re Marinette.”

She flinched. The force of it would have knocked him over, if he hadn’t been expecting it.

“Marinette,” he repeated. 

She had her yoyo back in her hand.

“Mar--”

She leapt away from the tower, just as lost as she’d been before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *singing the entirety of beetlejuice*


	15. For Forever

* * *

_ All we see is light for forever, ‘cause the sun shines bright for forever. _

* * *

Adrien’s face burned bright red as he was taken down from the tower by the fire department. He almost wanted to laugh, make a joke about cats stuck in trees, but he knew it wasn’t time for that. They wanted to talk to him, ask if he’d gotten any information from Ladybug. Instead, he ran.

He didn’t know where she would be, but he had a few guesses. The bakery was empty, as was François-Dupont. He found her by accident, on his way to the third place to check.

She was leaning against a streetlight on a near-empty street. It took him a moment to figure out why she was there. It was where they’d first met. Her and Chat. He allowed himself a smile at the memory, a screaming girl knocking him over and catching them both before they fell.

“How did you know?” she asked. Plagg was nowhere to be found, the silver ring not on her finger.

“Multimouse.”

Marinette closed her eyes, tilting her face to the sun. “Of course.”

“You had both our miraculous, didn’t you?”

“Yes, and worse than that. I was transformed with both of them, at the same time. Different Minimice, but still. I’d never-- I’d never felt that powerful before.”

Adrien knew it. He knew he’d been right all along. That hadn’t been his Ladybug, she’d been damaged.

“Do you think you could give it up? That power?”

“I don’t know.” 

“You miss Chat, right? Would you give him back his miraculous?”

“Chat… doesn’t deserve what I did to him. But I honestly don’t know what could break me enough to get through the need for this power.” She held up her yoyo, keeping her eyes off Adrien. "Wait... you knew I was Multimouse?"

"You made sure I did, my lady."


	16. It's Quiet Uptown

* * *

_ Forgiveness; can you imagine? _

* * *

The silence as his words sank in was deafening. Ladybug, despite all the power she held, looked vulnerable in this reveal.

“Chat?” she asked, her voice cracking.

He nodded, scared of what was to come.

“Oh, my kitty.” Her tears left tracks down her mask. She moved closer to him, stopping before they touched. “My kitty.”

“Marinette,” he whispered, “please. Bugaboo.”

“I--” Marinette’s voice cracked. Had he broken her enough? The she’d described it; the longing for power wasn’t something she’d chosen. It was more like an addiction, all these little hints of it eating at her until it destroyed her.

Her yoyo split open to reveal a glowing void. His ring was in her palm seconds later, looking just as it had when he’d first received it.

Plagg appeared in a flash of light as Adrien returned the miraculous to his finger. He caught his kwami, holding him tight in his hands. His knees hit the ground; he wondered how long he’d been falling.

“Kid, I can’t breathe.”

Adrien laughed. “You don’t  _ need _ to breathe.”

Plagg grumbled, a low sound turning into a purr.

Adrien looked up to Ladybug, who watched with an expression of horror and joy. “Thank you, Marinette.”


	17. Jump in the Line

* * *

_I was on a mission, this is what I left behind!_

* * *

When Adrien finally stood back up, Plagg phasing through his jacket, he realized they had switched places. Marinette was on the ground now, detransformed, her chest rising and falling with sobs. This wasn’t an akuma; she hadn’t been possessed. She remembered everything.

“Take them,” she whispered. “I don’t deserve them.”

He almost asked what, before his eyes were drawn to the bright red earrings reflecting the sun.

“My lady.” He knelt back down, resting a hand on her back. “We can fix this. You’re worth saving.”

“ _Chaton…_ ” A hand reached up, finding a hold around his arm. Tikki flew up, landing Adrien’s shoulder.

He slid his arm out of Marinette’s grip, their hands meeting. He lifted hers up, leaning his head down to brush a kiss to her knuckles. “It’s you and me against the world, remember?”

Marinette rose from the ground, using Adrien’s hand as support. Tears were dried on her cheeks but no more fell from her eyes. She offered him a shaky smile.

_“Bien joué?”_

_“Bien joué,”_ he agreed, forgoing the fist bump in favor of bringing their lips together. They melted into each other, somehow both knowing this would be counted as their first kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap, folks! Thanks for sticking around to the end, and to all the kudos and comments. (I went back and made some changes to chapter 14, btw). I hope you've enjoyed this story!


End file.
